Customer Reviews

The Crimson Thread:: The Struggle To Become Jesus During The Revolt Against Rome, An Historical Novel

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Royston Potter bases his book on the accurate perception that the Jews of this period were waiting and preparing for a Messiah who would embody both their spiritual & political aspirations. Far from a pacifist Christ,
the figure waited for by the Jews would, at least for a time, by
necessity be a master in guerilla warfare. In fact, THE CRIMSON THREAD can be seen as a good primer in military strategy & tactics.

The image of THE CRIMSON THREAD itself refers to a colored cord tied around the first infant born in the case of twins. This distinction between one child and the other was an all-important consideration in patriarchal society and affected the rigid laws of inheritance. In this particular case it mattered even more because it involved both dynastic and religious affiliations in the highest degree. The King of the Jews and the Messiah had to prove a clear line of succession from David. In the novel the author explains how these functions could be embodied in two different claimants as long as their bloodline was pure and they followed the letter of the Torah. It was also possible that both King and Messiah could be the same person.

In conclusion, although we may not be in particular sympathy with the Old Testament orientation of THE CRIMSON THREAD, reading it was both an enjoyable & enlightening experience--and proved once again that we learn most from sources we may not agree with. The novel revealed both a solid socio-political grasp of history as well as the author's
intuitive understanding. By "intuitive understanding" we mean a knowledge that surpasses the limitations of ego, space and time. This is why a person can read THE CRIMSON THREAD and realize a series of inner revelations not necessarily inherent in the text--and that the author may reveal information he may not be consciously aware of. In fact, the novel can be seen as a modern Gnostic gospel.

This well-researched novel presents the historical Jesus as a passionate mystic-Messiah whose inspiration is his personal connection with the Divine "HaShem." Potter's insights are informed by his own studies of Kabbalah as well as available historical materials including the works of Josephus and the Dead Sea Scrolls in addition to the NT Gospels. The story presents family members of Jesus, including Miriam, his beloved soul-mate and wife, in "flesh and blood" scenarios. It cleverly reconciles many anomalies and contradictions found in the Gospel narratives, while it develops the gradual evolution of the Christ-consciousness in Jesus. This is a story that needs to be told and widely discussed--a valuable contribution to the on-going revelation of the "real" Jesus.

I really enjoyed this book. It provides an interesting glimpse into the history and life of the time. It is evident the author has done extensive research and has a great amount of knowledge which is being translated onto each page for the reader to soak up. Potter goes to great lengths to keep the story accurate with authentic events that anyone can research if they desire. There is plenty of action and surprises to keep you reading on, yet it delivers an important message.

This book is a historical fictional novel that rearranges, revises, and rewrites the first century story of the Gospels, from a Jewish Hebrew perspective, in which most of the characters have Hebrew versions of their names, Yeshua instead of Jesus, Jacob instead of James, Miriam instead of Mary, Eleazar instead of Lazarus, Jude instead of Judas, etcetera, and in which the story concerns the rivalry between Nazarenes, Essenes, and Zealots, inside and outside of the Dead Sea Qumran community, in fighting a war in Judaea and Galilee against the Romans and Herodians. Yeshua is a code name alias for the leader of the Jewish resistance war against the Romans, to return the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of David, with Yeshua as a code name used by both twin brothers, Yeshua and Jude, and the Gospel story is variously divided up between the twin brothers, who are rivals, for becoming the Messiah of Joseph, and the Messiah of David. In this novel, the Messiah Yeshua has a wife and sons, and several of the disciples are brothers or cousins. The Gospel miracles are interpreted as allegorical events, not as literally true. The words and parables of Yeshua are interpreted as code words, as used in war-time secrecy. Yeshua is interpreted and described as a religious mystic and part-time warrior who practices Jewish Kabbalah, and this is the source of the prophetic insight and wisdom of Yeshua. The idea that Kabbalah was practiced in the first century, seems to me to be an unhistorical anachronism. This novel is not a literary masterpiece. Some parts of this novel are well written, and some parts are not well written. Some of the dialogue and story narrative is unnatural or artificial and unrealistic. However, the author has some insight into reading "between-the-lines" of the Gospel, and respectfully explaining the Gospel story of Yeshua as events in a secular and religious Jewish history, not as a "Christian" history. At the end of the novel, after the crucifixion of Yeshua, King of the Jews, his royal wife and royal sons escape Judaea and Galilee, by taking a boat to the West. Perhaps the author intended to write a sequel novel. This book has a short bibliography of a few reference sources.

A remarkably good novel for this genre; one can be entertained and enlightened simultaneously. This novel has imagination grounded in a framework of compelling and probable history. We see the rebel Jesus, not the story book Gospels Jesus. As Professor Eisenman said, "Choose it for you must-read list."